Second Chances: Remember Me Before I Fade Away
by jtbwriter
Summary: After an ambush, Rick Simon wakes up missing 20 years of his life; how does he get back his memories before it changes him forever.
1. Default Chapter

Second Chances: Remember Me Before I Fade Away

A Simon & Simon/Six Million Dollar Man Crossover Story

After an ambush, Rick Simon wakes up missing 20 years of his life; how

does he get back his memories before it changes him forever.

(This is dedicated to the memory of Philip DeGuere, Jr.-Thank you for Rick and A.J., this one's for you!)

(Simon and Simon and The Six Million Dollar Man belong to Universal Studios-

this is not intended to make any money and I promise to put everyone back when I'm done!)

_"A.J., uh, that appointment I had in San Diego with Colonel Austin"_

"_Yeah? Was it him or a joke?" Rick saw his brother's inquiring look._

"_It was him, he hired us to protect a friend of his, an author. He wants us to fly to Chicago to meet her, then go with her to Philadelphia and New York by train. He's willing to pay all expenses plus our regular fees, over two thousand dollars."_

"_She must be important. What's her name?" This was the part Rick was dreading. "Laurel Light Scott, but Colonel Austin says we would have known her as Laurie Scott."_

_"Laurie who", A.J. gaped at Rick, who was busy packing his suitcase with the clothes he had strewn around his brother's living room_

_"Laurel Light Scott, must have been Laurie's real name or maybe she took it on when she started writing", Rick said, holding up a shirt and sniffing it to see if it had been in the dryer. _

A.J. frowned at Rick. "Are you sure Colonel Austin said she knew us-maybe it's a friend of her's.

"I'm sure, as a matter of fact he even knew how the two of us met- she told him the two of us helped protect you from a bully", Rick sat down with the shirt in hand, concern in his eyes. "This stalker must have her and Austin running scared for them not to go to the police or for government protection.

A.J. pulled out his briefcase. "Well, fortunately for you, I was able to cancel the assignment I accepted before you sprung this surprise on me, hopefully it turns out to be just an over-eager fan."

Rick snorted. "If this is the same girl, I hope she at least has a good explanation why she never wrote Mom, you know how she felt about her".

Rick caught a look from his brother, who quietly said, "Maybe she didn't have a choice, after all the drama with her leaving and all."

He looked at A.J. and smiled. Leave it to him to defend a girl he hadn't seen in 13 years, just because his brother had liked, no, loved her.

"Don't worry, little brother", he squeezed A.J.'s shoulder as he walked past him. "I'm not going to tumble like that again, especially with Colonel Austin peering over our shoulders".

It was dark. That he was sure of, that and his head felt like it was exploding.

Rick closed his eyes, then opened them again.

He could see a little better, he was in a cold, damp room of some kind, then he felt someone's hand, soft and …gentle, yeah. A woman's fingers on his forehead, then pain.

"Ow!" he yelped, then he froze at a familiar voice.

"I'm sorry, Rick. What did they do to you." The woman's tone was shaky, but he knew it from somewhere.

"Uh, I don't know. Who are you." he managed, trying to sit up.

Mistake. He felt dizzy and sick, and was grateful for the hands that supported him and held him upright until he regained his equilibrium.

"Darling, it's Laurie. Can you see me?" she asked.

He could make out a shadowy face, then he frowned. "Laurie? Laurie Scott?"

There was a hesitation, then she spoke again. "It's Laurie, Rick, but I'm Laurie Simon. We're married, don't you remember?"

Now he was confused. "Married? I haven't seen you for nearly 13, 14 years!"

"No, Rick, we've been married for almost 18 years, we found each other about 20 years ago." He heard her fumbling, then a small light went on, illuminating her face.

It was her, older, yes, but still the pretty girl he'd lost so many years before, at least that's what he recalled.

The light was to the right of his face, then it dropped abruptly as she gasped.

"You're bleeding, oh I could kill them for what they've done to you, love. We've got to get out of here so Rudy and Doc can take care of you!"

He hastened to placate her, hearing the anger in her voice. "Laurie, honey, I'll be okay. Yeesh, calm down. You haven't changed, still my feisty girl!" Whoops, "my" girl.

"Oh Rick." He felt her hands on his face again, then realized that her hands were bound.

"Honey, who did this?" he reached for her and discovered his wrists were also tied.

"John Whitefeather and his goons. He got out of prison after serving only half his sentence for threatening us, without anyone notifying the Tribal Council. When they found out, they alerted us, but he ambushed us in the parking lot of the old center. I think that's where we are now." She said. She fumbled with the rope on his wrists, and succeeded in loosing the knots enough that Rick was able to free himself.

He saw the light on her wrist go on again. "I hope A.J. has his transmitter on. I don't remember much myself, but Whitefeather was saying he was going to kill us when he came back."

Tribal Council? Where were they? "Hon, uh, we're not in San Diego, I take it." He said, hoping she'd say yes.

"No, Rick, we're in Arizona, outside of Phoenix. You really don't remember." She sniffed.

Instinctively Rick squeezed her hand, then felt her lean against him. "Thank you, Rick." She murmured, then whispered "A.J.? Can you hear me?"

"Laurie, honey, are you all right? Is Rick with you?" He heard his brother's voice and was heartened by the familiar sound.

"Yes, A.J., I'm all right, but Rick's hurt. They hit him really hard, he needs Rudy and Doc." She told him.

"Oscar's getting a reading of you guys being under Silver Rock, do you know where you are?" Rick puzzled over this…Silver Rock?

"I think we're in the basement of the old Tribal Center, it smells like the old storage room. Please hurry, they were making threats about what they would do when they came back." She added, then Rick put a hand of warning on her arm as footsteps sounded.

"We'll be there in a couple of minutes, hang on, sis." A.J. responded.

A key scratched at the door as Rick managed to finish untying Laurie's wrists, then he snatched a handful of loose dirt off the flooring as he straightened up.

The door opened, and three shadows were silhouetted in the light.

At once Rick had a flash of memory:

"_Rick!" A muffled cry sounded in the back parking lot, and he ran at full speed around the back of the Tribal Center. He stopped short as he saw his wife being held by a man with his hand over her mouth. Suddenly there were two other guys, one pointing a gun._

"_I promised I'd get revenge for putting my father in jail, now is the time!" the man holding Laurie snarled, then motioned to Rick to get down. As he did, still watching Laurie's terrified face, he "heard" her "say_

"_I'm going to faint, love."_

_At once she slumped against the pony-tailed man, causing him to lose his grip on her. Instantly Rick lashed out with a fist, knocking out one of his assailants, then threw the man with the gun to the ground._

Suddenly he was facing the same dirtbag, only he had a hatchet in his fist.

"Well, at least you're awake. I'm going to make you the same offer, sign the paper giving me your council seat, Mrs. Simon, or your husband will be missing one scalp."

He felt rather then saw her stiffen with determination, then she replied, "I'd be signing away my birthright and our lives if I did that, forget it!"

The man smirked, then licked his lips. "Pretty brave, lady, but once I start shedding his blood, you'll be begging to sign on the dotted line!"

Rick casually looked at him, then said, "I don't know you, Whitefeather, but you jerks are all the same, all talk and no action." As the ex-con lunged toward him, furious, Rick threw the dirt in his face, blinding him, then knocked one accomplice into the other, causing them to fall to the ground.

Grabbing Laurie's hand, he propelled the two of them through the door amid voices yelling "Stop them!"

Making it into the hallway, Rick slammed the door and locked it, then turned to find a blond-haired man coming toward him at a run, followed by two others.

"A.J!" he called, then he and Laurie collapsed against the wall with relief.

As soon as Rick got a look at his brother in the dimly lit corridor, he knew. Not only had he lost his memory, he'd lost something else.

About 20 years.


	2. Chapter 2

"Any dizziness now? How's your stomach feel?" the kindly man asked, looking into Rick's eyes with a flashlight.

"Other then my head pounding…." Rick replied, trying to remember this "Rudy Wells" that was supposed to be so close to his wife and he.

He felt comfortable with him, it was true, but other than a few brief flashes of familiarity, his memory still ended with him coming back from Los Angeles with an assignment to protect a Laurel Scott.

His Laurie, who his brother had told him had loved him all those missing years. They had fallen in love again, been married and raised her niece and nephew as their own. He didn't remember any of this, nor of the concerned-looking man named called "Oscar" who had taken their captors into custody. He did have a flash of memory when A.J. mentioned "Downtown" Brown and his wife Temple living nearby, and A.J.'s wife Linda…she was very familiar too.

"Well, the MRI and CAT scan should tell us if there's any fractures or swelling that could be triggering your memory loss. It's interesting though, where your last conscious memories end.. right before you and A.J. went to Chicago and saved Laurie." The doctor added.

Rick frowned. "My brother mentioned we went to protect her from some stalker, he didn't tell me about saving her. What happened?"

Rudy started putting a local on the gash near the older Simon's temple as he talked. "You and A.J. arrived at the hotel where you were to meet her just in time to stop two of Willowby's men from kidnapping her.

She told me and Oscar that she looked up to see you and was never so happy in her life."

As he spoke, Rick found himself getting worked up at the thought of his girl being terrorized by the maniac, only to be relieved to hear that the millionaire was killed by the police years before.

"Of course you two have had a lot of dangerous times in your life together." Rudy explained, "but Oscar and I have never had to worry as far as your marriage, because you've always believed and trusted in each other."

Rick saw the smile on the older man's face, then impulsively put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Rudy, I might not remember much about you, but somehow I know you've helped take care of Laurie and ..all of us. I can't promise I'll be any good at dealing with, I mean, I've got to figure out what my life is."

He lowered his eyes, not wanting to admit what he had to remember didn't sound all that great at the moment.

The doctor leaned over and hugged him, then reassured him. "You'll be all right, son. Once we figure out what's causing your memory loss, we'll be able to help you get through it. Right now let's get some pictures then we'll go on from there."

Hours later, Rick was finally resting in a hospital bed, his headache down to a dull roar. A.J. was sitting on one side and Cecilia on the other, just making small talk.

His mother looked so good to him, somehow she knew he needed her to just sit and remind him of all the things he and A.J. had accomplished together.

He had to laugh at the descriptions she painted of his "expeditions" with his friends, of learning to ride a horse again and playing "cowboys" with A.J. and Laurie.

As he started to ask his mother about when she moved to Phoenix, Laurie knocked at the door.

"Honey, come in, how are you feeling?" Cecilia asked, insisting on wheeling her in. Rick took one look and his heart sank. Her skin was startlingly pale, the bruises from their attackers in sharp contrast to her relieved smile.

"Much better, Mom. Rudy told me you got in." Laurie got up from her chair and hugged her, then let A.J. trade places with her, making her laugh with his attempts to wheel to the other side of the room.

"Rick, you look better, what did Rudy say?" she leaned over and kissed his cheek. Rick was tempted to turn so her lips would land on his, but all he did was take her hand and squeeze it.

"I have a concussion, darlin', as soon as the swelling goes down he thinks my memory should return." He glossed over the part about the small crack his skull took.

A.J. looked over at Rick. "Concussion? Your head must be harder than I thought!"

Cecilia shook her head in mock frustration. "A.J., don't tease your big brother. I'm just glad it's not as bad as Joe told me."

Rick looked puzzled until A.J. said, "Chief Joseph, he was a friend of Dad's and he's the one who helped Laurie find out about her family, and Robin and Robbie. He was with Oscar yesterday in the hallway."

At once Rick had a flash of memory; an older man with a crinkled face, a pair of dog tags. "A.J., he gave us Dad's i.d. tags, when we first came to Arizona."

Laurie got very excited. "Yes, Rick, he gave them to you two just before you proposed to me. Rudy was right, you are getting better!"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Right now, the only thing I'm getting is tired. I'll remember everything tomorrow, sweetheart."

Immediately Cecilia got up. "Honey, you need to rest. I'll go home now, but I'll be back after breakfast, Rick." She kissed his cheek, then whispered, "you'll be okay."

"Night, Mom." He covered his sudden reluctance to see her go with a yawn, then reached out and patted his brother as he suggested "A.J., you go get some rest, I'll see you tomorrow, too."

"Night, Rick, night, Laurie." The younger Simon clasped his hand, then dropped a kiss on his "older sister's" cheek. "I'll be just a phone call away."

As the door closed behind him, Rick felt Laurie take his hand in hers then bring it to her cheek.

"Darlin'," he sighed, then turned his hand and stroked her face. "You don't look so good, I want you to get some sleep. You want Rudy to take you back to your room?"

"Not yet, Rick, please? I'd like to stay until you go to sleep." She scooted her wheelchair closer to the bed.

"Tell you what, I'll close my eyes, then you go to bed, okay?" he saw her reluctantly nod.

"Yes, love. "

Immediately he said good night then shut his eyes. Letting himself start to drift off he half-heard a small sob, then the squeak of the wheelchair as it rolled away.

"We made how much!"

Rick stared at his brother in disbelief, then shook his head. He couldn't believe at first they'd closed their office "temporarily". Now he understood why it was "no trouble" to his brother or why no one was bugging them for money.

"We were how long in San Diego, 20 some years, and in 13 years in Phoenix we made twice the money, unbelievable!"

"Of course for the first year you and Laurie were married, we only did business in San Diego, but the kids went through some nasty stuff there, plus we established quite a few contacts here, so after seven years we closed the office and moved here full time. That's when Linda and I started dating." A.J. leaned back in his chair and smiled, thinking of his wife.

"Oh, geez, A.J., talk about me…you've got it bad too." Rick teased, enjoying the grin that crept around his brother's face. Spending the better part of a week together, he and A.J. were now comfortable discussing the part of his life he largely had no recall of. At least he could voice his worries about Laurie's health with his brother; both Oscar and Rudy had been evasive with him about her being so pale. He knew he shouldn't send her away every night, but the pressure to recapture his past was making him so irritable that he was certain he'd say something hurtful to her. With a jolt he realized his thoughts had started to wander and he tried to focus on what A.J. was saying.

"You got that right. What really sealed it was the fact that she enjoys all the same things I like, plus, well, she was just about as lonely for family as Laurie was. Unlike a lot of the women I knew, she needed me."

A.J. added, a contented note in his voice. "And I needed her."

"Well, I'm glad, little brother. She's sweet and honest and has a lot of guts." Rick told him, then caught his breath as he realized he remembered something.

"A.J., when you proposed to her, something happened, you and her were kidnapped….."

"That's right, we were taken as bait by Aaron Caparelli, the crook who tried to kill you and Laurie and Steve Austin." A.J. paused, shuddering inwardly at the memory.

"You and Steve and …." Rick halted, sorting through the pictures in his head, "Rudy and Jaime, that's it, Steve's wife."

"This is weird, Rick. Why do you think you can relive other memories, but you have a hole where Laurie's concerned. Something must have happened that is blocking her out." A.J. mused.

Rick shook his head, "I don't know, but at least I remember Rudy now, I'm just grateful he's always been there for us. Speaking of which, were we sick recently?"

"Yeah, you two got a cold from our cousins when they came to visit, only Laurie got a virus from it. Rudy was really concerned about it 'cause it went into her chest." A.J. added.

"Someone call my name?" Rudy stuck his head in the door, then smiled at the two brothers.

"Hey, Rudy, come on in." Rick chuckled at the coincidence of the doctor's appearance.

"How do you feel?" he sat next to the older Simon, then took his pulse.

"My head feels much better, and I've started remembering more…."Rick replied, as A.J. added,

"Rick remembers mostly places and situations and people."

"That's great, I knew the swelling was down, when you're healed enough, I'd like to try a little verbal recall." Rudy said, continuing his examination of Rick's injuries.

"Uh, Rudy, there is one thing." Rick cleared his throat.

"Why can't I remember Laurie, I mean the last 18 years, I know there's something, heck I've always loved her, but …."

"I don't know, son. I suspect something happened the night you two were attacked. You saw or witnessed something that has caused you to block out your recall of someone you love."

Rudy put a hand on Rick's shoulder as he sat back against the bed pillows.

"I don't want you to push it, Rick. I know from experience that the mind protects itself from unbelievable tragedy and heartache by shutting the door to those events. Once it figures out that remembering whatever you saw or experienced won't hurt you, I think your memories will return naturally."

Both A.J. and Rick looked at each other, then the older Simon sighed.

"Thanks, Rudy, now I need to know about Laurie. What is wrong with her, she's so pale and I keep hearing about her having a heart problem a couple of years ago."

The older man frowned, then took off his glasses. "Rick, Laurie made Oscar and I promise we weren't to tell you, but there's no way I can keep quiet about something that might hurt either of you."

Just then his beeper went off, and he looked at the message on it.

"Guys, I have to go. Abby just brought Joey in, he might have broken his wrist. I need to talk to you, no better yet, A.J., can you come and keep Abby company until Ron gets here?"

"Sure, let me get my jacket." A.J. said, then Rick stopped him.

"Let me go, too. I haven't gotten a chance to really talk to her since this happened."

Rudy narrowed his eyes, then reluctantly agreed. "Good idea, besides, maybe just getting out of this room will help jog a few things."


	3. Chapter 3

When they reached the emergency room, the two Simons were relieved to find out that Abby and Ron's son had merely sprained his wrist playing soccer. While A.J. went to call Linda, Rick sat down next to a distraught Abby in the waiting area.

"Come on, Hon, he's all right. Kids fall and hurt themselves all the time."

"Rick, if you weren't still recovering from that blow to the head, I'd give you one myself." She said through gritted teeth. "Don't tell me you didn't get upset when Robbie or Robin fell and skinned a knee."

Rick had a moment of confusion, then he replied, "I'm sorry, Abby, I think I did, when we were in San Diego and a bully made Robin fall. I didn't mean to make light of Joey getting hurt."

"God, Rick, I'm the one who should be sorry, I forgot…wait a minute, you remember Robin?" Abby looked startled as Rick was silent, then said, "Yeah, I do."

His face suddenly brightened as he saw her wheeling Laurie into the lobby, and he hurriedly went to meet them.

"Pop, I heard Abby was here with Joey…." She started, then saw his expression.

"Pop, you remember!" she gasped, then went into his embrace.

"I do remember my little girl." Rick managed a watery smile as he hugged her, then felt a handkerchief in his hand.

"Darling, you always tease me about never having a Kleenex." Laurie had wheeled herself next to them and was beaming up at the two of them.

"Yeah, well, I'm glad you had one stuck away." he answered, wiping Robin's eyes then his own. Laurie went over to her friend and took her hand.

"Abby, Robin and I just saw Rudy, Joey's fine, he's getting an ace bandage for his wrist now."

"Thanks, buddy. I'm glad you came, that guy's entirely too healthy for this place, why don't you take him home." Abby told her, then saw her brighten.

"Good idea, Abby, thanks. I'll ask Rudy, Rick'll get much better at home with all the familiar things around him. Let me go find him." Laurie said, then turned around to her husband, catching him with a heartbreaking smile.

"Rick, I'll be right back."

As she moved away, Rick abruptly realized he still was in the dark about Laurie, and decided to do something about it. Just then his friend Ron Johnson came through the doors, and after greeting Robin, sat down and got a vivid blow- by-blow from his wife of their son's getting hurt.

When Abby had a chance to wind down, Rick glanced at Ron.

"Ron, maybe you'll tell me, if Laurie was only bruised from what that Whitefeather did, why is she still here in the hospital."

"Well, Oscar and Rudy didn't want her at home alone, plus Laurie hates to be without you at night, so it was just better for right now that she stay here." The chief of detectives answered uneasily.

"Abby, if you and Ron don't tell me what's wrong with my girl…." Rick gave them both a stern look, then heard a sigh from his friends.

"Laurie'll have our heads, Rick." Ron answered, "but….."

Rick went down the hallway until he came to his wife's room, then raised his hand to knock. What stopped him was the sound of Rudy talking.

"Missy, you need to have me take care of this, Rick will be all right, you just can't wait any longer."

He opened the door quietly, then saw Laurie in her wheelchair, an anguished look on her face.

"Rudy, I trust you, more then you know. I just..I need to make sure he's okay to handle things. I know with Mom and A.J. and the children that he won't be lost in case he doesn't remember. I need to know, that he'll remember me." She said, tears in her voice.

Rick couldn't stand it any longer. He knocked on the doorframe. "Rudy?"

The doctor glanced at him, then smiled.

"I think you two need to talk, son. I'll be in the lobby with Abby if you need me."

As Rudy went past him, he patted his shoulder, and Rick knew what he had to do.

"Sweetheart." He sat down on the bed opposite her, then took her hand as Laurie gazed worriedly at him.

"Rick, did you…hear what Rudy and I were talking about?"

"Yes, darlin', and I made Ron and Abby tell me about the surgery you were supposed to have before we were attacked. I know your heart is acting up because of the virus that affected it." Rick saw tears fill her eyes then he pulled her into his arms.

"Rick, I'm scared, I don't want to leave you, what if something happens and you can't remember me?" she wept into his shirt.

"Darlin', I remember you, heck, I never stopped loving you. Don't you know, I loved you then and I love you now. I won't leave you, ever." He comforted her, holding her tightly then dropping a kiss on her hair.

"You love me?" she pulled back to look in his eyes, then a watery smile appeared on her face as he kissed her lips and murmured "more than anything."

"I love you so very much, you are my world, darling." She returned, kissing him back then whispered "I've missed being in your arms, I've missed, us."

He grinned as he cuddled her against him. "I wanted so to kiss you when I woke up with you last week in that cellar. I didn't understand my feelings then, but I do now. I need you to have Rudy take care of your heart, darlin'. I'll be with you every moment, I promise."

Laurie looked up at him, then nodded. "All right, love. I won't be afraid if you're with me. Let's find Rudy and Dad."

Later that afternoon, Rick sat next to his wife, trying not to be anxious now that she was hooked up to oxygen and I.V.'s. Rudy and Doc Walters had taken no chances, arranging to operate that same day and arranging blood donations from Oscar and Linda, who shared Laurie's blood type.

"Rick, do you know how cute you look in scrubs." She teased, propped up on pillows while the two doctors looked at her MRI.

"Cute? Sweetheart, cute is for dogs and bunnies and toys." He returned jokingly, trying to cover his worry behind the surgical mask he wore.

"Rick, we're ready to go. Missy, I'm going to give you something very mild, you won't be sick, I promise." Their friend came to her side, then the door opened and two people entered, also dressed in scrubs.

"Mom? Dad?" Laurie beamed at the sight of Cecilia and Oscar, who came over and kissed her.

"We're just outside, baby." Oscar told her. "You're going to be riding again in no time, but I want you to know how proud I am of you. I love you."

Sniffing, Laurie's lip trembled as she replied, "I love you too, Dad. Thank you for always being there. Mom…." Cecilia came to her side and kissed her cheek, saying, "I know, honey. Everything's going to be all right. I love my little girl, I always will."

The clearing of two throats let Rick know it was time, so he stood up and hugged his mother and father-in-law. "Thanks." He managed, then watched them leave as Rudy gave her a shot.

"Okay, son, go ahead and count her down."

Rick gazed into Laurie's eyes, then whispered, "I love my brave girl, we'll be together for eighteen times eighteen years." He saw her lips form "I love you." then start counting with him, "seventeen, sixteen, fifteen.."

As her eyes closed, her breathing eased, and Rudy told him, "Just watch her face, Rick. Let me know if she shows any distress."

Rick was so busy following directions that Doc Walters had to tap his shoulder to get his attention.

"We're done, Rick. Light's heart is good as new."

Letting out a deep breath, he looked up at the doctor. "Thanks Doc, you too Rudy. How long will she be out?"

"Only a few more minutes, I didn't give her much so her breathing wouldn't be depressed. I'll go tell the others, you let me know when she wakes up." The older man gave him a satisfied look, then added, "I expect you two will wait to celebrate until she's uh, stronger?"

Rick found himself blushing as he replied, "If I can, she can."

As the door closed, he heard a quiet moan, then saw Laurie's eyelids flicker.

Instinctively he pulled down his mask, then kissed her cheek as he said "Laurie, I'm here, everything's okay." He kissed her forehead, then gazed as her eyes opened, then focused dazedly on him.

"Rick? Love, did Rudy operate?"

"Yes, sweetheart." Rick took her hand and kissed it. "You're all right now, Doc says your heart is as good as new."

"That's funny." A sleepy smile crossed her lips. "My heart has always been as good as new, cause you have it in your hands. You always have."

That did it, tears rolled down his cheek as he gently kissed her, then somehow got his arms around her.

"I love you, don't ever leave me." He whispered, putting his face against hers.

"I won't, darling. Don't cry, I'm not going anywhere without you." She murmured, then kissed his lips.

Once he got control over his voice, Rick asked "Laurie, what kind of party do you want for Easter?"

A weak giggle came from her as she said "I want ham and potato salad and all the good stuff and all our family and friends, and I want Father Nick if he can come. We will have a happy day this year!"

Rick's heart was full as he kissed her nose. "Yes, my bunny. Anything you want"

He saw her turn pink then a shy smile appeared as Laurie answered, "I want you, only you."

Chuckling, Rick cupped her face in his hands and kissed it, then reluctantly got up from the bed to let their friends know of her awakening. Pausing at the door, he winked. "What my girl wants, she gets!"


	4. Chapter 4

"A.J., hurry up, I've got 5 more eggs to hide." Rick was having fun ragging his brother as they looked for easy places to hide the "surprise" treats for the kids and Mike to find.

"Well, make sure you make a note of where you hide them, that stink bomb I found cleaning Poorboy's stall last summer never did come out of my shirt." A.J. griped, then turned, to face Rick, a sheepish look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Rick, I forgot you…"

The older Simon interrupted him, grinning. "Believe it or not, I remember, when you said "stink bomb", it flashed in my head where that rotten egg was!"

It was true, he was getting more and more of his past back, and he wasn't afraid of what he didn't recall.

Except Laurie.

She was getting stronger everyday, but he still worried. What if someone tried to harm her from their past and he didn't recognize them. It had only been two weeks, but still…..

His thoughts were interrupted by A.J.'s laughter.

"Well, you know what they say about the sense of smell." He said, spotting one of Mike's "deposits" in the grass.

Rick shook his head. "That dog has a bad sense of direction, I thought I trained him to go where the horses are." Automatically grabbing a shovel from the tool rack, he froze, staring at the implement.

_He saw the shovel coming at him, then felt a sharp pain and hit the ground, gasping. Trying to raise his head, he saw Laurie land a blow to her captor's stomach, causing him to release her. _

"_Rick!" she screamed, terror on her face. At once Whitefeather lunged at her, grabbing her by the throat __then snatching up the hatchet again. "I'll start with you then!"_

_He struggled to get up from the ground, "Laurieeee!"_

"Rick, what is it?"

Panting, he looked up, the sweat dripping from his forehead. "A.J., I couldn't save my angel, he was going tokill her instead of me, I couldn't stop him!"

"No, you did save Laurie, Rick, that's it." A.J. took his brother's arm and helped him to the patio, where he gratefully caught his breath.

"He didn't scalp her, she fainted and when she came to you were both in the center's basement. You remember?" Rick looked up at A.J., then managed a smile.

"I do remember, it's like a whirlwind, all these pictures in my head, God, I don't want to see it again, but….." he paused, then glanced at his little brother's worried expression.

"I'm all right now, I'm going to be 53 years old next month and I have an…interesting life. I wouldn't trade it or my Laurie for the world."

He watched A.J.'s eyes mist over as he added, "or the best brother in the world, 'cause I already got him."

"Rick, A.J.!" A familiar voice came from the house, then Rob Gomez appeared on the steps.

Realizing he looked upset, the two brothers hustled to the patio. "What is it, Rob?" A.J. asked the sheriff, noticing his serious face.

"Whitefeather killed himself in jail, I want you all to get in the house and lock up. His brother called us that his father left a note, saying he was going to finish your brother and Light off!"

Rick felt dizzy, he remembered the crazy old man from years ago. He'd orchestrated an attack on his family once before, now….

"Rick, it's okay, we'll find him." Rob's voice cut through his fear, leaving him filled with anger.

"Damn right!" Rick focused on the younger man, then looked at A.J..

"A.J., I'm not cowering in the house waiting for something to happen, I'm going to get my gun. Rob, which direction would he sneak in from?"

"My guess is creek side, we could set up there and on the front side of the barn." The sheriff grinned,

"Welcome back, Rick. I missed you."

Rick patted his shoulder. "You and me both. Come on, let me find Laurie."

As they went inside the kitchen, he found that his sister-in-law had engaged his niece and nephews in a game of "Easter Bingo".

"Uncle Rick, I won candy!" Ceci crowed importantly, then got up from the table and threw her arms around his leg. As he picked her up for a hug, a sudden cold wave swept over him, and he hurriedly set her down.

"Where's Laurie, honey?" he asked, trying to stay calm.

"She went to the barn for some eggs just before Rob came in, oh, no!" Linda pointed at Rick's watch, which had just lit up.

Instantly Rick pushed in the stem to receive, then stared at his brother as his wife's voice quivered over the transmitter.

"I didn't make your son kill himself, he was in jail because he tried to kill Rick and I."

"You made sure he would never see the light of day, now I'll do the same to you and Simon." The wizened voice propelled him to the gun cabinet in the living room, where he unlocked the drawer and pulled out his pistol.

"Sweetheart, where are you?" He "called" to her, then felt a sense of panic.

"In the barn, it's old Whitefeather. Get Dad or Rob, he's going to kill you. Don't come, Rick" she pleaded.

Motioning to the other two men, he mouthed, "barn", then led them out the front and around the blind side of the back of the house to the barn, where they split up.

Pointing to the front and side entrance, Rob indicated he'd take point and A.J. nodded to the side, as Rick quietly grabbed a ladder and placed it so he could climb in the loft window.

Noiselessly he went up the steps, then lowering himself inside, looked down to see his wife struggling with the white-haired man, as he held a knife to her throat and tried to force her inside the feed locker.

"Inside, Mrs. Simon, or I'll kill you and go after your children." He snarled.

Frantic, Rick "told" her, "Go limp, darlin'!"

At once he saw her stop struggling, then Whitefeather pushed her inside the bin and started to drop the lid, only to have Rick fall on him, crashing him into the dirt floor. Immediately A.J. rushed in, then flipped back the lid as he told his sister-in-law, "Stay down, honey!"

As Rick tussled with the old man, Rob and A.J. came in from both sides and grabbed the ex-convict, only for him to throw both of them to the ground.

"You'll all die!" he yelled, then Rick came off the ground and hit him flush in the jaw, then slugged him in the stomach, causing him to drop the small lighter he was holding.

Quickly Rob retrieved it as A.J. pointed his gun at the now fallen Whitefeather. Rob stared at him then growled angrily, "you vicious old man, I ought to just turn my back and let A.J. finish you off." Rick shook his head at him as he rushed past him.

"Laurie!" Rick pulled her from the feed bin. "Sweetheart, are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

She was trembling, but managed to shake her head as she huddled against him. "No, darling. He scared me something awful though. I thought I was going to faint, I didn't see him until he had his hands on me, he was going to burn us alive, oh Rick!" she choked. Rick held her tight, then looked over at the criminal, his eyes now filled with humiliation.

"No, Rob, he deserves what he's earned, he bred hate, he's going to die hated." Rick said, then heard Laurie let out a wavering breath as Rob took the old man away. "Rick, take me inside, please."

At once he picked her up in his arms. "Shh, it's alright now, angel. You're safe, my brave girl." He stroked her hair and soothed her, feeling her stop shaking as he carried her out of the barn.

Suddenly she looked up at him. "Rick? You called me Angel!"

As she stared at him, a smile lit her face.

"You remember, oh, love!" she cried, then put her arms around his neck and buried her lips in his.

"How could I forget my princess." He whispered against her sweet mouth, then covered her face with kisses.

Only the clearing of A.J.'s throat interrupted their embrace, then Laurie blushed as she said, "Thank you, little brother, for you and Rob coming to my rescue."

"Anytime, sis." He replied, dropping a kiss on her cheek as he held the kitchen door open for them. "Can't let my big brother be the only hero in the family!"

Chuckling, Rick set her down only long enough to hug Linda and the children, before taking her to their room to rest. Setting her down on their bed, he wrapped her in a blanket and made her comfortable until Oscar and Rudy arrived and immediately insisted on checking both of them out.

"Rick, let me take a look at that mouse over your eye." The doctor insisted, then beamed as Rick looked at him and said, "Got one good thing out of this, I remember you, Rudy, and you.." he turned to Oscar as he sat holding Laurie, "Dad."

Oscar choked up, then looked down at his daughter as she smiled and said, "Happy Easter, Dad!"


	5. Chapter 5

It was a happy Easter, Rick decided, watching the day wind down. With the exception of Ricky, who was watching a baseball game on TV with his father, all the kids were asleep in the guest room. His mother was putting the leftover ham and fish in doggie bags in the fridge, Linda was cleaning up the candy and egg remains in the patio and Oscar and Rudy and Rob and Father Nick were popping beers and exchanging fish stories.

And Laurie was in his arms, snuggled up against him, where she belonged. Mike had taken up residence at his feet, looking up and yawning at him every now and then, as if to assure himself his master was back.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, then looked up at his tall son, reveling in the sight of how much he had grown up.

"Hey, Pop, how do you feel?"

"Good, Robbie. Rudy says I'm healing well, and well…" he looked down into Laurie's face, "tell him, sweetheart."

"We have another beginning, honey." She told Robbie, leaning against Rick's arm. "Your father got his memory back, and I got to woo him all over again!"

Rick stared at her, "Woo me?" Robbie started laughing as his mother giggled.

"Well, I did find you the first time, and I made it very hard for you to forget me..oh, Rick don't!" she squealed as he tickled her. Mike got up and barked, wanting to join in the fun.

"Sorry, Mom, but I think Pop liked getting to know you all over again." Robbie snickered, then Robin came out of the guest room holding little Peter.

"Rob, do you having any extra diapers, I forgot to bring an extra pack."

"Sure, come on and let me change my nephew." He volunteered, bending down and hugging his parents.

Robin waited until he straightened up, then smiled and said, "My turn." embracing them both.

As their children left the room, Laurie put her arm around Rick and whispered. "I love you, you give me such happy memories. Our children being here and you holding me safe in your arms, this is all I ever want. I'll never forget that you fell in love with me again. In fact," she looked down for a moment, then gazed up at him with tear-filled eyes, "I know something now that I only guessed at before. You still want to keep the agency open part-time, don't you?"

Rick looked in her face, then nodded, his heart so full of emotion.

He took her hand and kissed it, quietly saying, "You know me too well, Laurie, you're in my heart, and in my soul. I do miss the office, and so does A.J.. But, no matter what happens, I love you more than anything."

"My dear heart, I just want you to be happy." She murmured, beaming up at him then nuzzling his neck with soft kisses. Rick groaned.

"Sweetheart, what I want is you, and I don't think I want the children or Dad walking in on us." He said, then stood up and took her by the hand.

Laurie smiled. "I don't either, love. I think my Easter bunny needs to make a private visit." She teased.

"Yes, darlin'" he grinned, as he helped her up and started to lead her to their room.

Just then A.J. and Ricky came into the living room. "Auntie Laurie, can we go for a ride?" Ricky asked, hugging her.

Laurie hesitated, her eyes going to her husband's face, then she beamed as he growled, "Well, I guess the Easter Bunny can come back, come on, sweetheart, I'll hitch up the wagon."

"Wagon, oh, Rick, that's perfect! Let's drive over by the hills!" she replied, first hugging Ricky then throwing her arms around his namesake.

"Thank you, my dearest." She murmured, then giggled as Rick swung her around.

"Okay, A.J., you get the guys, darlin', you gather up the women and kids and I'll make sure the cake is packed all right." He declared, setting her down.

Minutes later the whole party was settled on a patch of meadow a mile from the ranch, feasting on marshmallow "Rabbit" cake. Rick surreptitiously produced an egg from his pocket, only to see his wife rummage in her basket, then pull out a colored plastic container.

Making sure everyone's attention was distracted, he waited until she had hidden the egg in her hand, then said, "Come on, sweetheart." He stood up, then led her a short distance away under a tree.

Helping her to sit down, he then took her hand in his. "Laurie, close your eyes for a surprise, sweetheart."

"Rick, what...oh all right." she smiledas he placed theplastic container in her palm,then then whispered, "Okay, open your eyes, princess. As she did, her eyes widened as she saw the green plastic egg.

"Darling ,what is it?" she gazed at him as he said "Open it, sweetheart."

Laurie grinned, then brought her hand forward and put a blue egg in his palm.

"Turnabout's fair play." She replied, grinning.

Rick shook his head playfully. "You first, angel."

As she opened it ,a small velvet box popped out, then Rick took it and opened it to show a jewel-encrusted band with amethyst crystals in the shape of forget-me-nots inset in the silver band.

Laurie's eyes glowed as she read the inscription "Forever yours, in my heart and in my mind. Love, Rick."

"Oh my love, it's beautiful!" she sniffed, then he slipped it on her ring finger just above her wedding rings.

"I love you, Laurie. You are my miracle, I got to fall in love with you all. Be mine forever."

"I will and I love you too." She whispered tenderly, then watched his face as he popped it open his egg to show a similar cloth-covered box.

"Darlin'…." He started, then saw a gold band with tiny colored crystals forming an R and L entwined. Astounded by their shared gift to each other, he teared up at the inscription in his ring.

"Forever I Do, Now And Always Yours, Love, Laurie."

"Rick, you are my prince. I want to live the rest of my life with you and never spend another night apart." Laurie told him, then sealed her words with a kiss.

As they both broke apart for air, he managed to ask, "put it on for me, angel."

Happiness filled her eyes as she slipped the band on his finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Suddenly clapping sounded around them, then husband and wife looked up to see their family and friends around them.

Father Nick stepped forward, pretending to frown. "All right, if you two want to do this again, let's do it right!"

Rick chuckled then got up and lifted Laurie to her feet.

"All right, Nick. Ready, sweetheart?"

Shyly she nodded, then gave him her hand. Once again Father Nick asked, "Do you, Rick Simon, pledge yourself to Laurie Simon?"

"I do."

"Do you, Laurie Simon, pledge yourself to Rick Simon?"

"I do."

Before he could say anything else, Rick took his wife's face in his hands and kissed her.

"Alright, since you don't take directions well,…" the priest laughed, then announced, "I now pronounce you husband and wife, again!"

At that Laurie's arms went around Rick., then their friends clapped again.

"Come on, you two, save it for the honeymoon!" A.J. catcalled, then Linda poked him as Ricky covered his eyes and went "Eweeeeew!"

Breaking apart, Rick huffed, "Good idea, little brother, come on, let's get home, sweetheart!"

He picked her up as she laughed, then carried her to the wagon and put her on the front seat.

When everyone was on board, Oscar elbowed his way to sit between them, then insisted on taking the reins.

"You and Laurie just sit there, I'll drive." He smirked, as Rick groaned. "Dad…"

Joking and teasing, the party came back to the ranch, then Oscar shooed the lovebirds inside, telling them,

"Go on, you can honeymoon until dinner!"

As they approached their room, Rick picked Laurie up again, saying, "We've only got until sundown, Mrs. Simon, let's make the most of it!" " "Yes, Mr. Simon." She giggled as she put her arms around his neck, kissing him as he kicked the door closed behind them.

A.J. and Linda looked at each other, then laughed as Ricky whined, "I wanted Uncle Rick to play with me!"

A.J. grinned. "Never mind, son. Someday you'll understand that when it comes to your Auntie, she gets to play with him first!".


End file.
